Research Library

Despite its massive geological endowment and receiving what could be considered the largest windfall in its economic history, Venezuela entered 2020 in the middle of an unprecedented economic crisis. The Covid-19 pandemic and turbulence in oil markets represent the latest in a string of problems that expose the country’s vulnerability.

Parental stress, which is heightened during natural disasters, can produce negative physiological responses in the developing brains of their infants and young children. This irreversibly alters the child’s brain structure, impacting their long-term prospects for good health and academic and economic success. Now is the time to institute policies and practices that mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the next generation, write the authors,

Changes in Russian natural gas policy point to a new strategy where Gazprom and Novatek follow different operating rules, allowing Russia to adjust to a changing natural gas market. The authors explain how this arrangement is playing out on the world energy landscape.

Public finance fellow Joyce Beebe reviews loan programs and proposals that aim to fund mid- to large-sized entities and nonprofit organizations after the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) stops accepting applications on June 30, 2020. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/3dh14sT

In the last of a series of reports on the USMCA, fellow David Gantz considers the trade-related matters that could affect the success of the USMCA as a mechanism for encouraging investment, creating new jobs and enhancing consumer welfare in North America.

This report traces the winding road of Mexico’s renewable energy policies and their uncertain future.

In this series of papers, the authors argue that Texas has a comparative advantage when it comes to implementing CCUS technologies, given the volume of CO2 emissions from industrial activity, the amount of oil and gas production, the scale of geologic storage potential, and the breadth of engineering and subsurface expertise in the state. Lawmakers and regulators can help facilitate the development of a robust CCUS industry in the state by addressing existing legal and regulatory uncertainties and by carefully considering pathways that can establish Texas as a leader in a low carbon energy future.

The oil glut and the unprecedented drop in demand, along with plummeting oil prices due to the coronavirus pandemic, is revealing the strengths and weaknesses of oil firms globally. The authors consider four NOCs — Ecopetrol, Petrobras, Petronas and Pemex — in the context of the current crisis.

Iron and steel production are necessary for modern infrastructure, and the sector is both energy intensive and difficult to decarbonize. The authors explore new, evolving processes that could change this and potentially provide both environmental and economic benefits.

Leveraging a crash in oil revenue, the Saudi government has quickly imposed unprecedented changes to the way it raises cash by increasing taxes and slashing subsidies in ways Saudi citizens once considered unthinkable.